Rookie Hudson Valley K9 Locates Strangling Suspect on First Day
A four-legged member of the Hudson Valley police force tracked down a potentially dangerous suspect on his first day on the job.
Police work isn't easy. That's why officers in the Hudson Valley employ every tool possible to help keep the public safe. Technology like drones and radar are helping to give law enforcement the upper hand, but nothing compares to the talents of a trained K9 when it comes to apprehending a suspect on the run.
On Thursday the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office received an emergency call about a domestic incident. Witnesses say Dylan Campbell of Glen Spey assaulted and strangled a family member before running away from the home on White Road. In an effort to find the 24-year-old, officers employed the help of its newly graduated K9 team.
Deputy Kyle Farrand and his police dog, Country, just graduated from the K9 academy on June 28. Thursday's call would be their first official assignment, and the team proved they were more than ready for action.
Farrand and Country tracked the suspect through the neighborhood, following his scent through yards of nearby homes. According to police, Campbell attempted to avoid detection by lying in a stream. However, Country could still smell the suspect's scent through the running water and alerted officers to his location a quarter of a mile away from the scene of the domestic dispute.
Because of the K9 team's quick action, Campbell was quickly taken into custody without incident and charged with assault and felony strangulation. He was sent to Sullivan County and held for $10,000 bail. The suspect is due back in court on Tuesday.
Sheriff Mike Schiff praised the newly graduated K9 team, saying he was proud of the job they did on their first day out. Schiff noted that the suspect's plan of avoiding detection by lying in a stream was no match for Country's well-trained nose.